


New Orleans

by SabrinaT



Series: Anarchy [3]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Complete, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:12:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22561549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SabrinaT/pseuds/SabrinaT
Summary: Linda left, just two weeks before Tommy Shelby decided he needed a new employee: an American, called Autumn Cormier, who stole his brother's heart.
Relationships: Arthur Shelby/Original Character(s), Arthur Shelby/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Anarchy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1567327
Comments: 48
Kudos: 35





	1. French Quarter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DWmyobsession](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DWmyobsession/gifts).



It was a good sign of something not being completely right: there was fog. Granted, Britain was foggy by nature, it was simply the way of the land. But there was British fog, and then there was this one, which Autumn liked to call ominous fog, which could be found everywhere in the world. In her native state of Louisiana, and in her hometown of New Orleans, it came about around the bayou, and in the depths of night when only party people roamed the streets. It was pretty, but it was an omen. And now, the same omen had followed her to the Old Country, and to Birmingham, on account of business.

Yeah, let's call it that.

_Business._

When it came down to it, there were two sides to the business: the good side, and the bad side. The good side was the wealth; the bad side was what happened when the people didn't really pay what they owed, or didn't present themselves to justice when they were due. Of course, this last one wasn't without its perks: a woman, born in a brothel, grew up with a certain hatred of men, brought about by the absence of a father, and by the mistreatment of the sex workers by members of the male species. That led to a healthy aspiration toward vengeance, which made the less palatable parts of her job a bit more digestible.

The issue arose when a man wasn't at all the disgusting piece of shit Autumn despised. A well-made suit and sharp features were her preference, preferably with a side of charisma and personality. Although she'd met such a gentleman once before, it didn't last: he owed a thousand dollars to a New York mob boss by the name of Changretta, and it was the end of the well-dressed, well spoken male. She'd been fair to him, though: she allowed him to take her out for dinner, and only ended him afterwards. Men to suit her taste were rare, but therehad to be a couple in England, Autumn reckoned. If not, she'd go to Italy, where at least the suits were good.

* * *

"My name is Autumn Cormier, I've a meeting with Thomas Shelby"

"You mean mr. Thomas Shelby, O.B.E."

"I mean Thomas Shelby, ma'am" Autumn corrected, wondering if the secretary was trying to do her job right, or if she really gave a shit about whatever it was her boss did with his life. Member of Parliament or not, Autumn was not British, so she would address people by their first and last name, nothing more, and nothing less.

"Mr. Shelby is not here today, he left his brother in charge" the secretary responded, positively apalled by the lack of manners of that guest. Most people who came to talk to the Shelbies spoke with so much reverence it was like speaking of God. But this one was clearly not British, by the looks of her clothes and by her accent; so maybe she didn't know who it was she asked to speak to.

"I don't care, ma'am. I want a Shelby, and I don't care which one it is" Autumn hissed, starting to lose her patience. Not only did he force her to meet in his office, surrounded by a million people, but he then didn't even bother showing up. Pity that it wasn't a kill contract: it would probably be quite nice to end a man with such poor manners. However, she could relay her message, and it could be to any given Shelby, Autumn had decided not to be picky.

"Wait here"

So Autumn waited, hat in her hands, looking around, refusing to sit. Luckily for her impatience, the secretary came back with a smug look on her face, and signaled a path leading to what seemed like a roomy office. Needless to say, some sort of man was inside, and his suit really was well made, although it seemed several sizes too big for his body. It would have something to do, Autumn reckoned, with the bottle of whisky and the vial of white powder in front of him.

"Mr. Shelby, I'm Autumn Cormier, and I'm here on behalf of monsieur LeBlanc, of New Orleans, USA. Your company sent him a bad batch of gin, and he wants his money back. I have a letter from monsieur LeBlanc here..." Autumn said, speaking quickly, yet clearly, while reaching for the envelope in her pocket. "...stating that you can give me the money, and I'll make sure it gets to him"

Nothing but silence. By then, men would either comply, or start reaching for guns. But this one man, Thomas Shelby's brother, did nothing like that. Truthfully, the man didn't even turn around to face her when she entered. Autumn was above being offended, but she wasn't above noticing when someone didn't even seem to give in to simple and basic human curiosity. For someone like her, in her line of business, all it took to get her attention was for someone to breathe a bit louder than usual. 

"Mr. Shelby? Mr. Shelby, I'm..."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard it the first time, god damn it" the man finally uttered, his voice raspy, and obviously coming from someone who was incredibly tired, defeated, and maybe even sick. "You'll get your money. Now get the fuck out of here"

"Excuse me? That's what you, or someone from your family, said in the letter you sent monsieur LeBlanc, and he never got any money. That's exactly why I'm here" Autumn replied, hand on her hip, the other inside her jacket, ready to reach for her revolver if the man was to turn violent. Even if he did weigh less than her by the looks of it, a man didn't need to be heavy in order to be deadly. Autumn herself wasn't an amazon by any means, and she still got her jobs done, quick and easy. 

"Fuck" the man responded, turning around suddenly, and looking at Autumn straight in the eyes. One thing would be said about him: although thin and apparently fragile, the Shelby man was tall. More than that, he had these eyes, and the eyes were what really did it: icy, blue, but sort of warm as well, as if he was violent and threatening then, but capable of looking after a sick child with all the care of the world the next. Nevermind the strange haircut, or the simple gold pocketwatch, Autumn Cormier deemed him the most attractive man she had ever seen. 

The Shelby man was clearly going to say something, Autumn could even see his Adam's apple move with the intention to form a sentence, or maybe another profane word. But he didn't, and the american bounty hunter never found out what it was he was going to say. 


	2. Bourbon Street

Linda had left. She had well and truly left, which probably was for the best. She didn't have it in her, she never did, and he married her thinking that no one would love him, other than a woman who had a clear saviour complex. But, in the end, Arthur Shelby couldn't be saved, and Linda ran away with some idiot, some safe and regular bloke, who had never even touched alcohol, let alone a weapon. 

She'd left, and she didn't even say goodbye to their son. Billy would never remember his mother, and she probably thought it was better that way, to not be held accountable for any continuation of the demonic Shelby line. Arthur did know one thing though: he would never forgive her for abandoning their son, for taking away from him the one parent who could show him a better way of life, without violence, and with rules. 

It had only been a week when Thomas forced him out of his house, and made him put on a suit, and go to the factory in Small Heath, to look after shit while he was gone, in London. It was a whole nightmare, Arthur felt as if everyone was looking at him, as if they all knew his wife had left him. The rumour mill would be running, undoubtedly, calling him everything, saying everything, probably siding with Linda. Everyone already thought he was the least attractive of the Shelbies, the least intelligent; Arthur was the loose cannon, the stupid one. Now, he was also the cuckold, the one who wasn't man enough for a quaker woman. 

Fuck, it was painful. And even worse, he had to go to the office, to the same office, he had to open that door, and see that desk, and look around, remembering exactly what had happened there, the afternoon Linda had surprised him with that stupid slip, that dumb underwear, and he'd fallen for it, he'd fallen like a sitting duck, proving everyone right. Arthur loved her, he sure as fuck did, as much as someone like him could love another human being. He loved her enough to have a child with her, he loved her enough to put a ring on her finger, and even try to be faithful. And now, even after all their troubles, after everything she'd done, he was under this illusion, her illusion, that he still loved her. How could he not? Billy was the single greatest thing in the world, and she'd carried him. She had to be worth for something, right?

So Arthur decided to move himself to Tommy's office, to try and at least focus on whatever it was he had to do. The secretary said something about a meeting, but he didn't really catch that very well. Besides, he'd brought snow with him, and Tommy already had the whisky, and although he still hadn't tapped into that source of time consumption, he would soon if nothing happened. For his son, he would try not to do it in the house; but Billy was with Finn. 

A bit wouldn't hurt. 

* * *

The woman kept talking, in that stupid accent. He didn't understand one single word she said, apart from money. She wanted money, something about the USA, but that was about everything he could make out. Arthur had a hard time understanding Scots and Irishmen, let alone Americans and their way of speaking that sounded like they were always drooling. In particular, this female spoke every word with her nose, dragging each word. 

"Fuck" Arthur heard himself saying, as he felt his head spinning. He managed to turn around, which did not help. In truth, and under oath, he would swear up and down God himself had looked down upon him, and said "let there be light". 

There it was: light. In the form of auburn hair, brown eyes, and a belted dress. A strong nose and strong eyebrows framed her face, against the canvas of sunkissed skin. She was so obviously not from Birmingham it contributed to the feeling of being visited by an aparition. The visitor could, at best, be related to Jeremiah Jesus, or with his son Isaiah, but neither of them looked so foreign to Arthur. None of them even came close to provoking what this woman provoked in Arthur. No one ever had. No, not even his former wife, or any of his flings before then. 

"Mr. Shelby, I want the money I was promised" she had the sense to lower her eyes once he turned his gaze upon her, but her whole demeanour spoke of a woman who didn't lower her eyes for anyone, who never bowed down before anyone. So why did she cave so easily, just because he looked at her?


	3. Jackson Square

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

It was as if Linda Shelby had never existed. At the same time, it was just like that for monsieur LeBlanc, who was simply erased from the memory of the bounty hunter, his money meaning nothing, not anymore. Fuck them both, fuck them all, and fuck everything else too, for good measure: the whisky, the bourbon, the fog, the cocaine, and the business. Let Tom return to his office, even; nothing mattered. 

"What did you say your name was?"

"Autumn Cormier"

"There was something else"

"Yes, I come from New Orleans, USA" Autumn informed, sticking up her chin. Like fuck she'd let a good-looking man from the middle of fuck-knows-where, England break her resolve and be made aware of that. "And I've come to take the money you owe monsieur LeBlanc, who buys your gin"

"My brother's gin. I'm not..." Arthur informed, looking back at the big meeting table, and connecting that name with the envelope Tom had left. "He... this is for you" the oldest of the Shelby brothers added, picking up the missive and handing it to her, to Autumn, from New Orleans, USA. Her hands were clearly the hands of someone who didn't do manual labour, but they weren't the hands of a lazy lady either. 

_Ms. Autumn Cormier:_

_I am sorry for not delivering this message to you in person, and for not being the one making this offer. The money owed to monsieur Laurence LeBlanc has been sent, and you have come to Birmingham at my personal request. As I said, I have an offer to make you: the Shelby company operates in multiple areas of business, sme of which are more lucrative than others. Most of all, there are some debts that need to be settled between clients, former clients, and us. It would be an honour and priviledge to employ you as our credit recovery agent, if you must put a name to your job post. The conditions are detailed in the attached document, as well as a contract. Take as much time as you need to think about our offer._

There was something else there, but Autumn didn't read it. The conditions were not bad at all; in fact, the only thing that made her consider the offer (well, one of the things) were the values written there. It was way more than she made on her own, it was enough to do whatever she wanted, enough to build a fucking palace in Louisiana, and decorate it with the finest antiques. 

"I know you're not Thomas Shelby, the girl at the door told me that" Autumn replied, still not looking up from the paper. "Arthur, is it?"

"Yeah" Arthur replied, hands on his pockets, noticing how close her eyebrows were. Shit, she really was gorgeous, Lord have mercy. Actually, no, God be damned, God needed to stay out of this. 

"Well, this is... quite the amount" she uttered, finally looking up from the contract and looking up at Arthur, catching him in the middle of staring at her. Sure, she could punch him, it would be fun to beat someone up, it had been a while; but of course, she didn't do that, she did something much worse. She fucking giggled. And as if that wasn't bad enough, she had the fucking nerve to bite her lip, leaving behind a tiny little rush of blood, turning red lips a bit redder, a bit bloodier. And damn it, it was pretty. It was damn pretty, wasn't it? So fucking pretty, she was as god damned delicious as candy apple, those cherry red lips, and the blush tone of her cheeks, and that hair against the deep skin, and the... 

"You're quite the... uh..." sure, now he was stuttering, now it was him making it worse. "Professional"

"Hm? I am, huh?" Autumn responded, dragging her hand behind her, and pulling her deep-red hair to one side, daring Arthur to lean over and take a bite off her. The next movement she made was to throw her hair onto the table. It was, quite literally, the straw that broke the camel's back: taking his cue in stride, Arthur decided he was going to do exactly what he wanted to do, which was kiss her, kiss Autumn Cormier, from New Orleans, USA, and then proceed to show her why the old country was much better than the new one. 

Surely there was no need for Arthur Shelby, some back alley, old-school, veteran gangster to be a good kisser, and there was certainly no need for him to be that good of a kisser. Autumn had vaguely considered fucking a Brit just for the hell of it, when she was bored; but now... shit, now it was on, now it wasn't boredom, it was something different. She even allowed him to push her to the table, and she sat, legs around him, like the good girl she had been taught to be at school. Granted, the stupid nuns hadn't taught her to spread her legs for some random man she'd just met. However, case could be made for the good sisters to be completely unaware of a man like Arthur Shelby. 

The issue was encountered when his hands tried to get to her thighs, though: there were at least a couple of holsters, none of them empty, and two knife-holders. 

"I swear, I'm not trying to attack you" Arthur decided to say, still staring at the whole arsenal she was packing. 

" _Putain_ , attack me, then! Why the fuck you staring at me if you ain't gonna fuck me, mister?" 

Whatever it was Autumn said, Arthur did not understand anything other than "fuck me", to which she added the prompt grabbing of his face, making him kiss her while her other hand reached for the latches on the holster, attempting to pull them off. But no, he didn't let her. He sure as hell was gonna fuck her, but he would do so while she wore her guns, and her knives, and whatever else it was she had on her. 

"Sign the damn contract and I will" Arthur demanded, taking Autumn's hand from his face by the wrist, and pinning it to the table. With his free one, he reached for a pen, and handed it to her. 

"That's blackmail" she protested, taking the damn thing and taking the cap off with her teeth, before reaching for the piece of paper with bad manners, freeing her wrist and facing Arthur. 

"I'll sign the contract..." Autumn started saying, pulling Arthur to her by the shirt, managing to do her signature with one hand, and undo the buttons with the other. "...if you get out of these clothes"

In the end, and although Autumn held up her end of the deal, she didn't really ask Arthur to do the same. And it felt good too; it felt good to give in, to not think about the next target, to not need cocaine to stay awake. Two people, strong apart, but stronger together. And fucking hell, it felt good. 

The contract for Shelby Company was signed, sealed and delivered. And so was the deal between Autumn Cormier, and Arthur Shelby. And it did feel right, more right than before, and as right as it ever would. 


	4. Immaculate Conception Church

The first point in the order of business was to march down to city centre, and install Autumn in the hotel the Shelbies used for their more distinguished guests. There, in the presidential suite, were several pages with pictures of houses, for her to pick one in Birmingham, which would be swiftly purchased. It would be harder for someone else to move into a different country, but it wasn't for a bounty hunter, who had her belongings on her at all times. In America, there was nothing Autumn needed to take care of; settling down, making roots somewhere, was simply not her style. Even in her hometown of New Orleans, she stayed with friends when she wasn't travelling for work. 

"One of these? Why would I need a mansion?" Autumn asked, picking up the sheets of paper, and surveying the estates. 

"Tom wants to make sure you stay around, and that you're taken care of well enough to not betray him" Arthur informed, looking over the room. He was mildly sure no one had access to the hotel rooms the Shelbies booked, but it was never a bad idea to double-check. Moreover, it was someone special staying there that night, someone he would very much want to keep alive and well. 

"Probably smart" Autumn admitted, observing Arthur over the top of the papers. He was so peculiar, sniffing around like a guard dog, that weird cap on his hand, instead of on the coffee table, like hers was. It had been her idea to ask him into the room, but it hadn't been to turn him into her personal security detail. 

"Probably, eh?" Arthur agreed, going up to the window and looking down, needlessly fixing the curtains. "You uh... you picked one yet?"

"Look mister, you're welcome to leave" she argued, thinking Arthur wanted her to pick, so he could be on his merry way, freed from the task of chaperoning her. It wasn't true, at all, but she was far too used to using men for pleasure, and ditching them at first chance. Right now, and even if she had to admit her heart was a bit biased toward the oldest Shelby, it wouldn't be a catastrophe if he was to say he didn't think the same of her. 

"You call me mister again, girl, and I'll be sure to fucking leave" Arthur replied with a chuckle. "I'm asking if you've picked a fucking house because the man who deals with the properties closes shop in half an hour. If I get there today, the house will be yours tomorrow"

"Hm. That's fair. I'm sorry" Autumn admitted, chewing on her tongue, a habit Arthur had noticed. "Tell me then, Arthur. Why is it that you're here still? Because if it's sex you want, we might want to get it over and done with, so you can go about your business"

"You really want me to go, don't you? That's alright, I'll..." Arthur admitted defeat, and turned to the door, his handsome yet tired features the picture of disappointment. He wasn't the kind of man to beat around the bush, but he also wasn't the kind of man who knew how to deal with love at first sight. He wanted to stay, he wanted to stay forever, he wanted to watch as Autumn unpacked, he wanted to watch her letting down her hair, and wash her face, and breathing, and just existing. But he also wasn't one to do it against her will, to stay against her wishes. Now, how would a gentleman explain those thoughts to a lady, without having himself commited to the loony bin?

"Fucks sake, this is stupid. Listen, I don't want you to go. But I also don't want to put a name to whatever it is that you're doing to me" Autumn caved, going after Arthur and taking him by the arm, both her actions and her words halting his determined one-way path to wherever was furthest from that hotel. 

"What did I even do to you?" he replied, turning to her in complete shock, brow furrowed. But sure enough, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and planted a kiss on his lips, fully on the tips of her toes. "Shit"

"Shit, sorry, I shouldn't have done that" she apologised, going back to her normal height, and once again misinterpreting the whole situation. 

"Like hell you shouldn't have" was his response, the slightest hint of a smile gracing his face. "Whatever it is that I'm doing to you, and that you're doing to me, doesn't need to have a name" 

"Is it the same, though?" the American enquired, again allowing Arthur to back her up into a surface, this time a wall. Her hands rose to his chest, stroking the cotton fabric, and managing to find the beating of his heart, as quick as her own. As for him, a nod was enough, and also the only manageable response, before she kissed him again. 

* * *

"Miss Cormier, what a pleasure" 

Tommy Shelby was a bit different in person than on the newspaper. He was taller than her, which was not uncommon, and had eyes the colour of icicles. Besides that, he had strong cheekbones and pleasant manners, but it didn't warrant the reputation he'd gotten from the women of Birmingham as the best looking man of all time. That distinction went to Arthur, the older one, as far as Autumn was concerned. 

"The pleasure is mine" she replied, shaking the man's hand and sitting in front of him, across the desk. 

"I trust that you found your new home acceptable"

"I did, thank you" 

"Now, I do have work for you, once you're settled" Tommy informed, shuffling through some papers, and finding the one he was looking for. "I need you to find someone and bring him here" 

"Just that? Just bring him here?" Autumn asked, picking up the sheet and looking over the details. "Sounds simple enough"

"Hopefully it will be. Make sure he arrives alive, though" Tommy requested, his eyebrow slightly raised. He was under the impression he'd hired a bounty hunter, not a contract killer. 

"Sure" she replied, failing to hide her boredom with the task. 

"Miss Cormier..."

"Autumn, please"

"Autumn, I would also appreciate to be informed of your intentions concerning my brother Arthur" Tommy ended up saying, after a seconds-long pause. "I've heard from the girl who cleans his house, and yours too, that it isn't hard to find the two of you waking up in the morning, in the same bed" 

Thankfully Autumn didn't have any type of liquid in her mouth when she heard what her new boss had to say. For reasons she wasn't privy too, he'd been gone for over a week, only returning the day before their first meeting. Besides, she thought she'd been safe, and she sure as hell hadn't seen anyone in her house in the early morning. How the hell was someone ratting on them, without even being seen or heard?

"I uh... Hm. Got to admit you caught me off guard, mr. Shelby"

"Tommy" he replied, leaning over, elbows on the table. His demeanour had also changed: from business, to a panther ready to strike. Whatever else the rumours said about him, one thing was for sure: Thomas Shelby was the kind of man who'd easily kill if anyone did as much as lift a finger against his family. 

"Tommy. I uh... I dont really have any intentions regarding your brother, I mean... I don't have an... an agenda, or a goal, I..." Autumn stuttered, knowing well enough none of that would contribute to ease Tommy's mind. He held his ice-cold gaze on her, and it was like having her very soul examined. 

"Do you love him?" was the surprising question that followed, one she did not have an answer to. Could they just go back to talking about the job?

"It's been a week" 

"Plenty of time"

"For a flirt"

"For marriage" Tommy countered, getting up, his eyes shifting from Autumn to one of the pictures on his desk, one she couldn't see. "You've met Billy, his son"

"I have" 

"You've met my brother Finn"

"Yes"

"And you know about Linda" 

"I do" Autumn confirmed, crossing her legs and interlacing her fingers on her lap. She did indeed know all of them, she knew about the bitch ex-wife, and she wasn't about to run for the hills. What was more, she wasn't even mad at Arthur for telling about her to his brother. What she couldn't come to terms with was the purpose of all that questioning. 

"I ask you again, Autumn: do you love him?"

"Yes" 

Damn right, a week wasn't enough. To make matter's worse, she wasn't really sure it took more than five minutes for her to fall in love with Arthur Shelby, which was shocking, ridiculous, and highly unrealistic. But this time the answer came a bit too easily, without her having the time to weigh all those factors. Sure, it was stupid, and sure it was probably as one-sided as it could get; but at least it was an answer, and it was true to her. 

"Well then" Tommy slapped the top of his desk, and proceeded to extending his arm for Autumn to take. "Care to accompany me?" 

"Sure" Autumn replied, taking his arm and doing her best to not get left behind. "And where are we going?"

"To get you fitted for a ring"

"Excuse me? Autumn asked, alarm evident in her voice. "We're doing what now?"


	5. Preservation Hall

"Arthur, what the fuck is going on?" Autumn asked, through gritted teeth. Tommy had done as he had announced, and had made her march down to his car, asked her politely to get in, and then had drove into town, to the busy High Street. From then, they walked (Tommy walked, Autumn was pratically dragged) into a jeweler, where the aforemention Arthur Shelby was waiting for them. 

"Ask him, I have no idea" Arthur shrugged, as he watched his brother walk up to the counter, and shake a man's hand. 

"Good morning" the man said, his thick glasses hiding his eyes. "How may I be of service today, mr. Shelby?"

"Mr. Sanders, we are here because my brother Arthur has just informed me of his engagement to this lady. She insists an engagement ring isn't necessary, but me and my brother would like her to have one" Tommy informed, making both Arthur and Autumn look at him in disbelief. 

"I'm sorry, what the hell did you just say? I ain't engaged, what are you talking about?" Autumn raised her voice only slightly, but enough for Thomas to turn back and face her, not an ounce of amusement on his face. 

"Tom, what are you doing, what..." Arthur started, but couldn't finish the thought. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you two idiots decided to go and live a cosy little home life, not even noticing the fucking maids!" and there it was, Tommy lost his patience. "And guess what, you fuckers? They spread it. And now, as if Linda wasn't enough of a fucking problem, I have to deal with the fact that people are talking behind your back. So well done, Arthur; you fucked up again, and I'm the one who has to clean up your shit. You're marrying her, and I don't care what any of you say. Fuck both of you"

If only Tommy wasn't seeing red at that moment, things wouldn't have escalated the way they did. Arthur was fully ready to agree and comply, but he didn't account for his would-be-bride's unwillingness to be bossed around, regardless of the identity of the person uttering the orders. Tommy was entitled to tell her what to do and where to go in regards to business, but he would not be allowed to intefere in her personal life, rumour be damned. 

"You motherfucker, you disgusting excuse for a man, you overbearing piece of shit, how dare you?" Autumn exploded, her southern accent multiplied a million times, but somehow clear as daylight. "How dare you meddle in your brother's business, how dare you speak to him like that, how dare you talk to me and about me like I'm cargo? If the people want to talk, let'em talk. You really are shit, ain't ya? You're lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut, I'll tell you that. You ain't God, Shelby, you ain't the Almighty, and I sure as hell ain't a believer. Fuck you for doing this to your brother. You ain't shit, and if you pull another one like this, I'll knock you into the middle of next week looking both ways for Sunday. Now, feel free to dismiss me, but you sure as fuck ain't gonna break me"

Just like that, Autumn stormed off the shop, and crossed the street, more than ready to go pack her things and leave. She wouldn't even care if he did sack her, she'd find work quick enough. And as for Arthur, if he was offended by what she had said to his brother, then he wasn't the man she thought he was, and he could keep his bed in the early mornings to himself. 

"Oi, what the fuck was that?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I was a bitch, shouldn't have said it to Thomas fucking Shelby, who thinks he's God and needs to mind his own fucking business" Autumn replied to Arthur, the sarcasm evident in her voice. "He's gonna have me killed, blah blah blah"

"He's not" Arthur responded, easily catching up with her, on account of his longer legs. "Damn it, why won't you just marry me? Do as he says, put an end to any rumours"

"Wow, that's great, ain't that special, marrying you because your brother says so? And besides, you worried about people saying you fucking outside of holy matrimony, when everyone is very well aware that you out there killing people and doing illegal business? Sure, makes a ton of fucking sense. I, for one, don't really have the time to listen to rumours, 'cause I'm out here doing my job. And fucks sake, mister, I know I'll burn in Hell when my time comes; but I don't try and hide it. I don't try and pretend to be someone I'm really fucking not. And you... you and I? We're the same, Arthur; we're bad fucking people, we're killers, and there's nothing we haven't done. And you need to take it, you need to know it, and you need to own it"

"You're not a bad person" was the only response Arthur could muster. He knew he should be mad, either at Autumn, Tom, or both; but it didn't really help that she was right, she was so damn right, wasn't she? He'd killed, and he'd taken pleasure from it; more than that, he knew he'd do it again, for his family, for Billy, for Finn, for Tom, or Ada. And praised be, he knew he would do it for Autumn too, and he'd bask in the sensation of taking a life for her, and he'd probably kiss her and make love to her without even washing his hands first, letting the gunpowder and the blood decorate her body. "Killing doesn't make you a bad person"

"Well, that's one way to look at it" Autumn scoffed, turning her back and preparing to walk away. 

"It doesn't. And that's true, what you said: people around here know very well what the Blinders do, and it's certainly worse than two grown adults sharing a bed" Arthur agreed, lowering his eyes to his hands. "I'm sorry for... for that. Tom is... he cares about us, sometimes a little too much"

"You're sorry? You sorry for what, huh? You didn't do nothing, handsome. It's alright" she softened up a little, turning to him and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Hey, we knew damn well this wouldn't last forever. Might as well be now"

"No" 

"No what?"

"No, it won't be now. I want you, and you want me; you were right, fuck the rumours, eh? If the worse thing people around here have to say about me is that I have you in my bed, I'm fine with it. And Tom will have to come to terms with it, just like I've had to come to terms with many things he's had me do" Arthur clarified, looking straight at Autumn, and realising she wasn't even blinking. 

"You sure?" Autumn asked, the hint of a smile coming up to her lips. "He ain't gonna be happy"

"Eh, he'll get over it" Arthur said, smiling back at her, a rare sight. "I'll be happy, and I'll make sure you're happy" he added, bending over to place a sweet kiss on her lips, right in the middle of the busy street. 


	6. Our Sacred Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW sorry!

He looked younger in his sleep. Way younger, way more peaceful, like he wasn't always being chased by death at all times. Somehow, Autumn still loved him, and she loved him the same as when when he was awake. Saying those words inside her head wasn't that daunting anymore, two months into her new life in Birmingham. Saying it out loud was the challenge though; she was an eloquent woman otherwise. Even the simple fact that he kept a revolver under the pillow was another proof that they were the same, that they had been through the same things, and still dealt with them. 

"What the hell you doing" a muffled voice came from from the sleeping figure, his eyes still closed.

"Making sure you don't die in your sleep" Autumn replied non-chalantly. "Wouldn't want to be accused of murder"

"I'll call the coppers and have you arrested right now" Arthur replied, finally looking back at her, with the clear, soft eyes of someone who's just woken up, and still couldn't be bothered to think of the responsabilities.

"Let me get dressed first"

"Not a chance" he stated, pulling her into him, glueing their bodies together, her head on his chest, his nose in her hair. She always smelled so nice it was unsettling, Arthur thought, regaining enough mental ability to think back on the night before. It was a very bad idea to do so, but truth be told, it was also hard not to.

"What would you tell everyone, though? That you fucked a bounty hunter, and had her arrested just 'cause you no longer wanted to fuck her?" Autumn joked, appreciating the moments in the early morning where simply lying in bed, in Arthur's arms, was possible.

"Promise me that if I ever say I don't want to fuck you, you'll put a bullet in my head" he replied, chuckling. Granted, it wasn't the most romantic of conversations, but it didn't need to be: she was there, he could smell her hair, he knew she was warm, and her heart was beating calmly. It was everything Arthur could want: providing peace and heat for the woman he adored, and loved fiercely.

"Fair, I promise" the woman in question vowed, nodding softly. "And you do me if I say something like that. And no, I don't mean do me like that, so please don't even think about it... Arthur, I fucking mean it, Billy is gonna start calling soon and... stop that!" Autumn protested, trying not to laugh and failing when Arthur simply brought her on top of him, mouth on her neck, tickling the sides of her ribs.

"Billy's sleeping" Arthur replied, hands sliding from her ribs to her thighs, making her straddle his torso. "If he calls, we'll stop"

"Yeah, alright" Autumn ended up saying, kissing his lips, and making sure that her body was so close to his that they couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. It was a losing battle, trying to resist Arthur; she was so damn attracted to him it was even hard to breathe in his presence, knowing that nothing more than the scent of his cologne would make her bite her lip and soak her underwear. It was quite sad, but there was nothing to be done against it. It was nature, and he didn't seem to mind being desired in such a way. In all honesty, Arthur Shelby had never been desired that intensely in the days of his life, nor had he desired someone as much as he did Autumn. 

To make matters worse, she moaned when he took two handfulls of her backside, pressing her womanhood into his torso. Those moans were something else, he thought, something he couldn't name. Fuck, she really was wet, and pure instinct made Arthur move her body up and down, sliding ever so slightly over his own skin. He didn't need Autumn to say anything to know she was enjoying that new idea he had: she was not shy, and whenever she liked what he did, she couldn't hold back her moans. And when she did? Well, it wasn't easy to resist the temptation of simply slamming into her. But they had time, Arthur somehow had a feeling Billy would be asleep for a little while longer, which allowed him to kiss Autumn all the while keeping her riding him in this peculiar new way. Granted, it wasn't the same as having her brashly sit on his face, or demurely lying down on the mattress with his face between her thighs; but it was pretty damn beautiful to listen to the sounds it made her do. 

"That feels so amazing, it really does, but I need you inside me" Autumn ended up whispering, breaking their kiss to get some air, but promptly going back, the thought of not kissing Arthur too awful to bear. 

Her wish was his command, and although Arthur Shelby wasn't the kind of man who liked to take orders, he was always happy to do what Autumn wanted him to do. 

* * *

"I don't know how someone so small can eat so much mash" Arthur wondered, watching over as his son scooped up the food with his bare hands, and shoved it into his mouth. 

"Maybe your mash is great" Autumn replied, giving up on trying to feed Billy with a spoon. He didn't have great table manners, but there would be time for him to learn. "Besides, he's growing, he needs the energy"

"Sounds about right" he shrugged, going to sit by her side at the dinner table. "Pretty sure he thinks you're his mother"

"He does not" she protested, althought the thought wasn't at all unpleasant. 

"He does" Arthur assured, looking at his son, whose eyes were the size of saucers when he looked at Autumn. He was absolutely obsessed with her, not wanting anyone else to hold him, feed him, play with him, put him to sleep, or read to him. In that, father and son were similar: Arthur too wanted her around him as much as possible, and was prone to throwing tantrums when they had to be away from each other. 

"Well, that's fine; when he's older he can decide what he wants" Autumn replied, taking a cloth napkin and cleaning Billy's face. He looked like a potato had exploded on him, and it would be very funny, if it wasn't for the trouble of getting him to stay still to be cleaned. 

"I wish you were his mother, if it counts for anything"

"You know what? I do too" 

They stayed in silent for a couple of minutes, the relative weight of those admissions making the atmosphere a bit heavier, but not in a bad way. Both Arthur and Autumn were adults, adults who had freely chosen to pursue a partnership based on unspoken love and tacit rules. Equally mutually assured was that it was a relationship meant to last, a fact made more obvious and solemn by the relationship Arthur had allowed and encouraged between his son and Autumn; if he didn't want her in both their lives for good, he wouldn't have allowed her near the baby. 

"You ever thought of having kids of your own?" Arthur asked, forcing himself to look at her, and not down at his hands, or elsewhere. 

"Me? Well, I'm not exactly the kind of woman who settles down and raises a family, am I?" Autumn laughed, although there was no humour there. "Not the kind to get married and have a bunch of children"

"But would you want to?"

It was a difficult question to be asked. Truth was Autumn had never really thought about it seriously enough: she travelled so much she didn't have a house up until very recently, nor had she ever found someone who was interested in having a serious, long-term relationship with a bounty hunter. Now, the situation was slightly different: she had a home, and a good man by her side. 

"I think so. I hadn't been in a position to consider it, though" Autumn admitted it, thinking about the week after, when she had to go find a bookie who used to work for the Shelbies, but who had escaped with a considerable amount of money. Thinking about doing that while carrying a child was pretty much insane, and it couldn't be good for the baby either. "Why you askin'? You thinking we should have one, or something?" Autumn jokingly added. 

"Honestly? Sounds like the perfect idea. On one condition, though" Arthur replied, his face absolutely straight, not even a smile or a smirk. 

"Are you messing with me?" Autumn asked, furrowing her brow. "Are you serious, Arthur? You can't be serious"

"Marry me" Arthur simply stated, reaching for his pocket, and placing a ring on the table between the two of them. It was as simple and fuss-free as could be, but that was the way he reckoned Autumn would want to be proposed to: just the two of them and Billy. 

"You're actually serious" she let out, looking at the ring in disbelief. "Tommy tell you to do this?"

"Fuck, no, he didn't. He knows better than to try and tell you what to do" he replied, finally laughing. It was cruel to laugh at someone's shock, but Autumn's face was the perfect picture of surprise. "Come on, what do you say? You and me, eh?"

"You and me, and Billy" she corrected, taking the ring and observing it closer, before extending it back to Arthur, holding out her left hand. "Back where I'm from, you're supposed to put it on for me"

"Done" Arthur chuckled, putting it on her left ring finger, and actually sighing in relief when it fit. "That a yes?"

"I'd say it's a hell yea" Autumn said, kissing Arthur on the lips, before watching as he got up and went to pick Billy up, and sitting with the baby on his lap. 

"Billy gave his permission" Arthur replied, admiring how beauiful the engagement ring looked on his beloved's elegant finger. It was even better than he had antecipated, and it was a high he didn't want to come down from. Autumn, magnificent, kind, strong, assertive Autumn was going to be his wife, and would help him raise Billy. It couldn't be better even if it was a dream. "And helped pick out the ring"

"The ring is gorgeous, guys, thank you so much" she replied, looking down at it as well. "It's quite the rock"

"Well, you're quite the woman, eh?" Arthur said, making Autumn laugh and blush a bit. 

"Eh, what can I say, a girl tries" she responded, kissing him on the lips, and bending down to kiss Billy on the forehead. Forever did sound good with those two. 

Yes, I did pick a ring for her lmao 


	7. City Park

"I like her, she's fun. Much more fun than Linda" Finn opinated, sipping on his tea. Tommy didn't look vaguely as enthusiastic, but alas, it had very little to do with him, and there wasn't much he could do. 

"Everyone is more fun than Linda" Ada added, looking at Arthur, and then at Tommy, with an amused look on her face. She too liked Autumn, who had the clear expression of someone who did her job, and expected nothing from her relationship with Arthur. Ada had very low standards for what a good wife was: someone who showered, with the basic grasp of manners, and who wasn't a gold digger; Autumn ticked all those boxes, and then some, with her southern American accent, and the way she looked at the oldest Shelby. Besides, she was handsomely paid by Shelby Company, and had no need to enter a relationship, let alone an engagement, to get some money and a mansion to live in. 

"That's true" Finn replied, wondering why Tommy had yet to say a single word. It had been at least ten minutes since Arthur announced Autumn had agreed to marry him, and there was nothing but silence from behind the desk. 

"Tom?" Arthur himself asked, looking at his silent brother. "You got nothing to say? Are you happy for me?"

Tommy Shelby was an eloquent man, in which he was very much like Autumn Cormier; however, they both lost their ability to speak from time to time, and when they did, it meant something either very good, or very bad was happening, or about to happen. The best example was the lack of words to be heard from the bounty hunter's mouth when she was in pursuit: for stealth, yes, for focus, but mainly because she knew what was going to transpire, and needed silence to do it properly. In this particular occasion, Tommy decided to act instead of speak: he got up, walked around the desk, and hugged his older brother, patting his back. 

"These are excellent news, brother. She's a great choice" 

Only then, hearing Tom say those words, was Arthur able to breathe, and to relax. Even though he was the oldest, it was of paramount importance to get Tom, Finn and Ada's approval before bringing someone new into their family. He was aware that they all liked Autumn, but it was different; that marriage would change everything, it would add a new person to their already prickly family balance. 

"You could've saved everyone some trouble if you had just married her when I told you to" Tommy said, allowing himself a chuckle. 

"Wouldn't save me the trouble of having Autumn fuck right off back to America" Arthur countered, laughing as well. "She doesn't take orders from anyone, unless it's about a contract"

"Now that I'm aware of that, I'll make sure to stay out of your business. And I'm only saying this because I know that you've got a good woman by your side, a woman we can trust, who's on our side" Tommy said, knowing more than well that Autumn Cormier had as much dirt on the Shelbies as they did on her. "Don't fuck this up, Arthur. I mean it. Lay off the whores"

"I won't fuck it up, I promise" Arthur vowed, nodding slightly. 

"And when is the wedding? We need to start planning" Ada cheerfully chimed in. 

Right as she was done talking, there was a knock on the door, and when it opened, the bride herself came in, a look of stern determination on her face, nothing even remotely close to the happiness Arthur felt when he saw her. It was only when she took her first step that he understood what was going on: her right arm was covered in thick blood, some of it already going brown, and from her limp hand, a heavy revolver hung. 

"Autumn?" Ada called, her older brother already rushing to the trembling figure, catching her exactly when she lost strength and her legs gave in from under her. 

"What the fuck?" Tommy let out, immediately reaching for the phone, and getting a connection the hospital. "Is she alive?"

"Yeah, she is, but there's a bullet in there" Ada informed, pushing aside the fabric of Autumn's shirt, and seeing the deep-seated projectile. "Shit, it isn't the only one, either. You sure know how to pick your women, eh, Arthur? They always end up geting shot"

"Shut the fuck up, will you?" Arthur spat, making sure Autumn was breathing, and her heart was beating. "What the hell happened, eh?" he asked the bleeding figure, whose pale cheeks and silence were freaking him out more than a little bit. It didn't seem like a fatal wound, but it could be if help didn't arrive soon enough. 

"Billy. Some... some fucking... some fucking... tried to take him" 

No other words could be scarier than those right there. As if it had been rehearsed, a low whining sound came from not very far down the hall, and upon investigation, Finn returned with his nephew in his arms, unharmed, and safe. Arthur didn't know how to react, and what to say. On one hand, his son was safe, although a threat on his life was no laughing matter; on the other, his fiancé was clearly bleeding out on the ground.

"It''s alright, he's alright, just look at me, eh?" he ended up urging, choosing to focus on the person in most immediate danger. "Did you see who it was?"

"They had this... fuck... weird accent... there were... about five of'em. They're down by the river" Autumn painfully said, each word sending more and more spasms of agony through her body. 

"Alive?" Tommy asked, already half out the room, a pistol in his hand while Ada and Arthur applied pressure to the bullet wounds they'd been able to identify. 

"Fuck no, mister, fuck no" Autumn laughed, which led to uncontrollable coughing, releasing specks of blood onto her surroundings. "No one messes with my family"

Those were the last words she was able to get out, before losing strength to stay awake. The ambulance and the doctors arrived soon after, carrying her to the nearby hospital. In total, there were seven bullets in Autumn's body: one in her shoulder, another two in her arm, and four in her leg. As for Billy, he was completely unharmed, a miracle given the scenary the Blinders found near the cut: five bodies of five men, killed precisely and without mercy and without hesitation. 

* * *

"It's a miracle she isn't dead. They all had machine guns, and still... Fucking hell" Johnny Dogs said, eyes wide. He'd seen the men himself, he'd seen the guns, and now he was seeing Autumn. It was clear that she should be dead and gone, as well as Billy, but she'd been able to miraculously save herself and the baby, with just a revolver. 

"Who are they?" Tommy asked, turning to his friend. 

"No idea. She said they had strange accents, didn't she? Billy Boys?"

"Fuck, that's what I thought too. I don't really want to deal with Arthur once he finds out who did this" Tommy admitted, letting out a deep breath. "They came for Billy, Johnny... they came for the fucking baby, damn it"

"I know, it's fucking disgusting is what it is. And to do this to a woman..."

"We both know she isn't a fucking damsel in distress" the head of Shelby Company replied, lighting his cigarette. "I don't think Autumn Cormier has ever been a damsel, or in distress" 

"She's as tough as they come, and she saved the boy's life, and probably saved you a whole bunch of trouble" Johnny added, nodding. "I don't know what else to say, Tom; I'll make sure to ask around if anyone knows those men"

"Thank you" 

Once Johnny walked away, Tommy decided to enter Autumn's hospital room, to check on her, and on his brother as well. Arthur looked like he'd just seen a ghost, a million years mirrored on his face. Autumn was awake, her brow slightly furrowed, probably from the pain she was surely in. 

"You feeling better?"

"Peachy keen" Autumn replied, pretty sure she was going to throw up sooner or later from the pain. "You find out who the bastards are?"

"Not yet, but we will. I'm sure Arthur has already thanked you, but I want to do it as well. Thank you for what you did, it means a lot to us that you saved my nephew, and that you took those bullets" Tommy stated, making the bed-ridden American laugh. 

"Forget it, don't mention it. Billy's family, and I'd rather take a few more rounds than let anyone harm a hair on his head" Autumn chuckled, her usual good humour coming back in strength. "Find the motherfucker who wanted to take my son away from me, but do me a favour and sav'em for me, will you?"

"For the two of us" Arthur added, looking at his brother for the first time since he walked in. Despite knowing that Autumn was alive, and would probably be well in a couple of months, the fear still consumed his heart. 

"I promise. Now, get some rest, the both of you. I'll have a contract on those sons of bitches before long" Tommy agreed, nodding at Autumn and receiving a knowing smile in return. 

"I won't even charge you for that one" the American assured, knowing too well she wouldn't be able to sleep. It wasn't her first time taking a round of bullets, although it was the first time there was someone by her side while she recovered. Truth be told, it was also the first time she had doctors to take the bullets out of her, as it was usually her own job to do it. But thanks to Arthur, and thanks to her actions that afternoon, she would never be alone again. 


	8. Loyola University

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

Usually, it would take someone a good few months to recover from seven bullet wounds. It took Autumn three weeks of beign in the hospital, and then another month of rest, before she was walking around, begging Tommy for information, begging for a contract, anything that would occupy her time. Arthur was hellbent on following her wherever she went, even if it was just to the bathroom, and even Billy seemed to pick up on the disturbance: the baby whined whenever she did as much as get up too quickly. 

"You're scaring him" Arthur protested, when Autumn got up from her usual sofa, and bent over to pick up some toys that were scattered on the floor. 

"I'm fine, Billy. And I'm fine, Arthur" Autumn replied, straightening her back and dumping the toys on their box, before kissing her fiancé on the forehead, and her stepson on the cheek. "You worry too much about me"

"Well, and we're justified, aren't we? You were shot a couple of months ago" the oldest Shelby protested, getting up and following her to the kitchen, keping a watchful eye on the toddler sitting on the living room floor. "You need to let me take care of things around here, and of you"

"I don't need to be taken care of more than I already have been" Autumn assured, filling up the kettle with water and sitting on the kitchen counter, waiting for it to boil. "And it's really sweet of you, it really is. But I'm fine, I'm not gonna break. I promise, I'm alright"

"You could've... Fuck, you could've died. I can't stop thinking about it, I can't stop thinking that you could be dead, and Billy too. I should've been with you, I should've..."

"Arthur, stop" Autumn stopped him in his tracks before his sadness got the better of him: with her hands on his jaw, she planced a soft kiss on his lips. "There's no point in thinking about it now, It happened, I'm not dead, Billy is fine, and we're back to being a family. That's what matters, ain't it, baby?"

"Yeah, you're right. I know you're right. Of course, but still. I need you to be safe" Arthur sadly replied, his shoulders slumped. "You mean the absolute world to me, I'm a mess without you, Billy would be... I don't even want to think about it. I wouldn't survive without you"

"Baby..."

"No, let me say it. I know you said we shouldn't, in case something happened, it would be easier to... but something already happened, and I don't want it to happen again without telling you I love you. I love you, and I have loved you every single second that I have known you. There. There it is" Arthur confessed, brow furrowed, lips pursed in an effort to stop himself from crying, although every emotion in the world inhabited his mind, soul, and body. 

"Oh baby" Autumn softly let out, going to hug the man she had promised to marry. He had this bad habit of trembling ever so slightly when he was overcome by emotions he couldn't name, and of crying as well. It was one of the things Autumn loved the most about Arthur Shelby: his ability to feel, his ability to show, and his absolute ignorance as to how to let out what he felt. "Baby, I love you too, it's alright"

"Fuck" he let out, wiping his eyes on his shirt sleeve, which didn't prevent him from chuckling at the same time. "Fucking hell, love, I thought I'd have to take it to my grave"

"Me too" Autumn laughed as well, stealing a glance at Billy, and seeing him playing peacefully with a wooden lion. "I reckon it's time for his nap, don't you think?

"Huh?" Arthur asked, looking around before reaching for his pocketwatch. It wasn't even three in the afternoon, and Billy usually took a nap at four. "He doesn't look tired, and it's not even..."

"Baby..." Autumn said, making sure to widen her eyes at Arthur, as she moved in closer to him, her body glued to his, as her hands moved up his chest and to his shirt collar. Two buttons were undone before she looked up into his eyes, seeing the realization hit him. "I think Billy needs a nap"

"I uh... yeah, yeah, he absolutely does" Arthur agreed, bending over to match his fiancé's height, and kissing her full on the lips, palms flush against her backside. "Wait here, I'll go put him to sleep and then I'll come back to take you upstairs"

"I love you as a transportation company. It's real hot" she joked, missing his touch on her as soon as he placed her on the kitchen table, to await further instruction, off her feet. "No need to take me upstairs, though. I'm good right here"

"You know what, you're going to get what you're given, and you'll be happy about it" Arthur replied, his son in his arms, hoping to the heavens Billy would be a good and helpful baby boy, going to sleep as soon as he was in his crib. 

For Autumn, it seemed like a thousand years went by before Arthur's steps came down the stairs. She was still where he left her, only her plain dress was on the floor. Autumn wasn't a dress kind of girl, but her injured leg was better off without the pants she prefered. Now that was a vision from high heavens, Arthur thought, biting the insides of his cheeks. 

"Took you long enough" she teased, smirking maliciously. "You still wanna take me upstairs?"

"What did I tell you, eh?" was the response, as Arthur moved closer and closer, but not close enough for Autumn to touch him. "You'll get what you're given" he added, finally getting to her, grabbing her face, and kissing her as deeply as he could without hurting either of them. "And you'll like it"

"I might even thank you" Autumn condescended, appreciating the path the mouth she loved was tracing down to her jaw, and to her neck. "Billy sleeping?"

"Like a baby" Arthur assured, ensuring he wasn't pressing on any of her wounds. "Now, you need to tell me if I hurt you, or if you want to move somewhere else"

"No, no, this is perfect" she replied, legs dangling off the heavy table, which only pressed on the uninjured back of her thighs. "You're perfect, but not as perfect as I know you can be without these clothes on you"

"Lucky you I'm in a good mood" Arthur whispered, words muffled by Autumn's neck, cleavage, and eventually, her stomach. Impressively enough for the American, he somehow managed to get rid of his suspenders and shirt, all the while keeping his mouth and tongue on her skin. "Here, my gift to you" he added, coming back up just for enough time to drape the shirt over her shoulders, making her laugh. "Looks better on you than it does on me anyways"

"I beg to differ" she disagreed, putting her arms through the sleeves and happily allowing Arthur to go back to what he was doing, and which happened to be ridding her of her knickers, careful enough not to let the light fabric do as much as graze a bullet wound. "I'm gonna start crying if you're not fucking me within the next minute" 

"You wanna cry? You can cry, that's fine with me, beautiful" Arthur cheekily teased. Truth be told, she looked good enough to eat, wearing his shirt, a simple brassiere, her legs wide open and heavy eyelids. To make matters better, he knew exactly what she tasted like, and it delivered on the delectable promise. So no, Autumn would have to wait, because the next minute would be used to make sure she was soaked and begging. 

"That's unfair" she whined, pretty sure she could muster up some tears if the need really arose. "That's really unfair, you're being an asshole" Autumn added, forcing her breathing to slow down, not wanting to display her deep apreciation for what was happening between her thighs. 

Luckily for her, Arthur didn't really work off of encouraging comments, especially not in this particular task and situation. And unfortunately for the bounty hunter, he knew her all too well to be fooled by her attempts at disguising her pleasure: he knew those sharp intakes of air, and the way her knees seemed to vibrate under his palms. Besides, it didn't take much to see and feel the sheer amount of liquid she was able to produce, which pooled on the table, in the absence of a sheet to absorb it. 

"Please don't make me beg" Autumn let out, no longer biting her bottom lip as hard as she could. "Please, don't... please don't make me..."

"Have I ever made you beg?" Arthur asked, replacing his mouth with his hand, rising up to full height to be able to kiss his love on the lips. "Huh? Have I, love?"

"No" she had to admit, reaching for his belt, and undoing it as quickly as she could. "Let's not start now"

"Am I stopping you?" was the answer, as Autumn was perfectly able to undo the belt, the buttons, and slide the whole of his pants down to ground. "Come here" he urged, picking her up as carefully as humanly possible, and making her sit down nearer the edge of the table, so that he could finally give in to what she wanted. 

* * *

"And how are the leg and the arm?"

"Fine, hun, never better" 

"I have come across a piece of information that might be of interest to you" Tommy informed, sitting behind his desk as usual, in front of his brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law. "About Billy"

"Who did it?" Arthur asked, clenching his fists. "Who the fuck was it, Tom?"

"Billy Boys" Tommy simply said, as if it was nothing. "Billy Boys trying their luck"

"What? What the fuck do you mean?" Autumn asked, wondering how Tommy was so calm. If it had been the fucking Scots, why wasn't he rallying men to take them down and kill them, one by one. 

"I mean that these men you killed are part of a gang affiliated to the Billy Boys, and were trying to make a name for themselved, to rise in their ranks" Tommy forced himself to say. It was better to tell a half-truth, than to lie, even to people so close to him. 

"And? That's irrelevant to me, I want every single one of the Billy Boys to be dead, I don't care who those men were" Arthur stated, getting up from his seat. "They tried to take my son, they almost killed my wife, what the fuck are we waiting for?"

"Not your wife yet, baby" Autumn chose to say, knowing damn well she would smack Tommy if she didn't deflect the situation with something else. Why the hell was he hesitating, why wasn't he doing something?

"I don't fucking care, you're my wife, and they hurt you. I want to kill them, Tom" Arthur almost begged, fire consuming his eyes. It even scared Tommy a bit, enough to consider coming clean. But no, it wasn't worth it. It really wasn't worth an all out war with the powerful Scottish gang. 

"The ones responsible for the attack are already dead. They weren't tasked with it by anyone who's still alive, I assure you that" the head of Shelby Company ended up saying, hoping it would calm those two down. "We can't do anything else"

"Fucking hell" Arthur let out, sitting back down, letting out a loud sigh. "Are you absolutely sure about that?"

"I am, brother" Tom assured, looking at Autumn and seeing that she was a bit more hesitant than her fiancé. "Trust me, you took care of business, of the whole business; let's not risk more casualties by trying to play the blame game" 

"They're all dead; you promise, on your children, that all the men who wanted Billy taken from us are dead" Autumn asked, looking Tommy straight in the eye. 

"I promise, on my children"

It had come in handy to learn how to lie, even if it cost him his whole soul; but for his family, he'd do anything and everything, including hiding everything from them. 


	9. Chalmette Battlefield

The garden was as green as it could be, and Billy was already walking around, able to smell the flowers for himself, and even chase the chickens. Despite the absence of his biological mother, the little boy was happy, and was developing exactly as he should be, tended to lovingly by Autumn and Arthur, who were as in love with their child as humanly and superhumanly possible. Sure, the time they spent in the garden, just being a family, could be used to plan the wedding everyone was waiting for, but it wasn't their kind of thing: any type of event that needed planning would be too fussy for Autumn, who didn't like to be the centre of attention. 

"He likes the chickens, that much we know" Autumn chuckled, observing as Billy made life living hell for a couple of birds. 

"Sure does. It's insane that he's already walking this well, I don't know where time has gone" Arthur replied, lovingly placing his arm around his fiancé's shoulders, pulling her into his frame, her legs over his own. 

"Me neither. I was meaning to ask you about something, but I didn't know how to do it. I guess it's best to just ask you now" she replied, deciding there was no time like the present to come clean about what was on her mind. "I know how much your family wants a big wedding, and a reception, and all that; but I don't know if I'd be alright with that"

"We absolutely don't have to have a big wedding..." Arthur started, only to find out Autumn wasn't done talking. 

"I know, I know, but that's not what I was going to say. What I meant was that I was thinking we could have a small wedding, just us two, Billy, and a couple of witnesses; and then have the big reception Ada so desperately wants to give you" she explained, noticing just how gorgeous her love's eyes were, especially focusing on her with all his attention. "You know, having the best of both worlds"

"That what you want?" 

"I think so. But it's not just my wedding, it's yours too. You have a say, too" she guaranteed, fixing his collar carefully. "Besides, I don't even think marriage is that important. We're already living together, we have Billy, I've even gone as low as telling you I love you..." Autumn teased, earning a disgruntled, yet playful look from the oldest Shelby. 

"I do want to make it official, but I agree with you: a simple ceremony, just the two of us, Billy, and maybe Ada and Tommy as witnesses. Finn can go too, if he promises to keep his mouth shut" Arthur joked, making her laugh in return. "You gonna wear white?"

"Me? In Virgin Mary white? We both know I'm not entitled to it. Unless you beg me to wear white, in which case I would try to comply"

"Whatever it is that you decide to wear, I'll be absolutely fine with ripping it apart and sending it straight to hell the minute we have a room for ourselves" Arthur purred, leaning over to kiss her neck, causing her to bit her lip. He really knew what he was doing, didn't he? Shit, she was like putty in his hands, and it would be awkward if it wasn't so damn nice to have him nibbling at her skin. 

"I look forward to that" Autumn confessed, glad she could at least refrain from stradling his lap in the middle of the garden. "We should go rescue the poor chickens"

"And Billy, who looks like a stack of hay" Arthur added, seeing his son covered in straw. "I'll pick up where I left off later, that's a promise" 

"Oh yeah? I look forward to that" she replied, shooting Arthur a cheeky smirk before entering the chicken coup and snatching the toddler up and carrying him inside the house, despite the little boy's protests. 

* * *

"Autumn is never going to believe that. Arthur might, but not her" Charlie Strong took upon himself to say, hoping to make it more than clear that the plan being devised was outlandish. The Billy Boys had been quiet for almost a year, but now... now that Alfie Solomons had disappeared, they were back in full strength, trying to take over London, and with it the parts of the business the Shelbies shared with the Camden Town-based Jewish company. 

"Ollie Berg has taken over the operations, and he did ask for help. Autumn can go and get rid of the envoys, while Aberama goes up North, and deals with the source of the issue" Tommy countered, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep breath, before continuing the explanation of his plan. "I'll just put a bounty on these men, there is no reason for her to ask why"

"And when she hears them talk, and realises they're Scottish?" Johnny Dogs asked, entirely too aware of how the American felt about the Billy Boys. She'd chosen not to question Tommy's word about Billy's would-be-kidnappers, but she'd done so for Arthur's sake, to give him some peace of mind. Deep down, she'd never lowered her guard, and never accepted that the attack on her and her son was an isolated incident. 

"I don't pay her to ask questions, I pay her to pull the trigger and get rid of my problems" Tommy arrogantly stated, banging his fist on his desk. "She will do as she is told, and she will do so without even raising her voice"

"You're forgetting she isn't just your hitman; she's also your brother's wife" Polly chimed in, from her chair near the bookcases. She'd forced Tommy to come clean about the situation, never quite believing the Billy Boys would pass on the London business, when it was seemingly up for grabs. 

"Well fuck, Polly, if I was to account for everyone's fucking feelings, I would be out of fucking business!" Tommy shouted, getting up suddenly. "Do I look like I give a fuck about who Arthur is fucking? Wasn't fucking Linda enough? Now he goes and falls for the fucking bounty hunter? I'm not in any sort of mood to deal with this shit; she'll fucking do as she is told, which she has so far" 

"You can't just say that, Tom! You know she does her work perfectly well, she always has, regardless of Arthur. What we're saying is that you lied to her once, and about the child. Don't expect her to just be business as usual with you, when she finds out you chose to delay the problem" Johnny countered. He coult tell Tommy was absolutely livid, but then again so would Autumn be, once she realised how played she'd been.

At that very moment, there was a knock on the door, and both Arthur Shelby and Autumn Cormier entered the room, both looking surprised with the amount of people they found inside Tommy's study. What was more, the looks of surprise and guilt they were met with denounced a conversation which was about them. 

"Are we interrupting? We could come back later" Autumn asked, looking more at Polly and Johnny than at Tommy. 

"No, no, you stay. Charlie and Johnny were just leaving. I'll talk to you later" Tommy said to his men, who nodded curtly and left the room, both looking at Autumn and knowing she still had the marks of the bullets she'd taken for her stepson. It made all the worse, they agreed, that Tommy had hidden the truth of the situation from her. Polly, on the other hand, stayed where she was, and would only be leaving if she was asked to by either of the new arrivals. 

"Tom..."

"Autumn, I've a contract for you" Tommy interrupted his brother, almost as if he hadn't heard him speak. "It's in London, and it's for..."

"Tom..." 

"...a group of men who have been trying to take over the docks and even some buildings in Camden Town, who are owned by Solomons Enter..."

"TOM" Arthur let out, making sure that his brother could no longer ignore his attempts to speak. For once, it worked, and even the almighty Thomas Shelby had to shut up and look at his older brother, who seemed to be enraged by something. 

"What?"

"We came here to let you know we intend on getting married this week. Jeremiah already said he was available tomorrow evening to perform the ceremony" Arthur informed, trying to resist the urge of wrapping his arm around Autumn, and kissing her. It was difficult for him to separate what was acceptable at their home, and what was acceptable in front of other people, even if the other people were family. 

"Great, congratulations" Tommy dismissed, causing Arthur's enthusiasm to deflate, and Autumn to raise her eyebrows in disbelief. What kind of man acted in that way upon receiving the news of a brother's upcoming nuptials? Besides, what was it with his refusal to look at her, focusing on his desk full of papers, and nothing else. "Like I was saying, the contract is for a grand each, however many there are, and I need proof that they're dead, so please make sure that you bring back the bodies"

"Will I be getting any sort of help with that? You surely can't expect me to bring back a handful of bodies by train" Autumn sarcastically said, in a tone so subtle only Tommy picked up on it. 

"Sure, take Johnny and a couple Romanis with you. I want this done as soon as possible" Tommy concluded, handing her a stack of paper, and then turning around to face the window.

"Tomorrow evening, you said?" Polly chimed in, trying to bring some sense into the whole situation. Arthur looked like he was on the brink of tears, while Autumn fumed silently. They were surely expecting a more efusive reaction, even from usually stone-cold Thomas. Of course, there was a reason for it, but neither the bride nor the groom were privy to them, which made the situation even more severe. Autumn was being asked to go and risk her life against an unknown group of men, mere months after being severely injured in a smiliar situation, and probably mere hours after her wedding, if she was even allowed to have one. 

"Yes" Arthur replied, rising from the shock of Tom's reaction, and going back to being happy beyond his words. "Yes, Jeremiah will officiate it, and we were expecting you to attend, Pol" 

"And Tom, and Ada, and Finn" Autumn added, her eyes still burning imaginary holes through Tommy's body. She'd never hated him before, but she did now, when he didn't even turn upon hearing his own name as one of the few guests.

"Of course I'll be there" Polly replied with a smile. She too hated Tommy a little bit, and had for a bit of an obscene amount of time. "And Finn and Ada too"

"That'd be perfect" Arthur smiled, cap in his hands, almost destroyed by how vehemently he fussed with it. "Tom..."

"It'll have to wait, brother. She needs to go to London, now" Thomas Shelby ended up saying, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back: Autumn went from silently angry to absolute incandescent rage, which sent her flying to Tom, landing powerful punches wherever she could reach, and hurting him as much as she could before Arthur managed to pull her away. 

"What the hell was that for, woman?" Tommy asked, in shock and in disbelief. It was the second time in less than a fucking year that Autumn Cormier had put her hands on him, and it was becoming more than he could admit. 

"Your brother, who would do anything for you, comes to tell you he's getting married, we invite you to come be a witness, and a best man too, and you dismiss it as if we just came to tell you we've new roses in the garden!" Autumn spat, making it very clear she would poison Tommy if she could, or shoot him on sight. "And all you can think of is money, business, you want me to go to London without even letting me marry the man I love, make sure I get to marry him before I most likely die at your service. You've no idea how blessed you are for having a family, Thomas Shelby; you have no idea, and you don't deserve any of them"

Without even taking another breath, Autumn stormed out of the room before she hit the man again, and marched angrily to her own home, to start packing. The sooner she was able to leave, the sooner she was able to get to work, the sooner she could get her mind off of what she had been denied. And shit, if she died on the job, at least she'd known what being a mother and a wife was like, meaning she hadn't completely missed out on it all. 

"Mama?" she heard Billy's small voice saying from behind her, having surely escaped from Finn, who was supposed to be watching him. 

"Hi baby. Where's your uncle Finn?" Autumn asked, picking up the baby and kissing his cheek. As expected, Finn's steps were heard in the hallway, before the boy himself appeared. 

"Sorry. he escaped, but he didn't come very far. You alright? Why you packing?" the youngest brother asked, seeing the bag and the clothes scattered across the bed. 

"I uh... Tommy's given me a contract, and I need to get to London today. Johnny is coming along. A thousand quid a head" Autumn informed, trying not to cry. There was nothing she wanted more than to be safe, than to hold Billy in her arms forever, without having to put her neck on the line at a moment's notice. 

"Wow, that's... a lot of money. How many men?"

"I honestly don't know, and I don't think your brother knows either" the American scoffed, stashing things in the bag with one hand, making a mess and not even caring about it. "By the way, I want to tell you that I was supposed to get married tomorrow evening, and both me and... and your brother Arthur wanted you there. Ada too" 

"Yeah, of course I'll be there when you get married" Finn replied, the confusion evident in his tone of voice. He couldn't understand why it was that Autumn and Arthur couldn't get married the following night, and he sure as hell didn't understand why Autumn made a point of telling him she wanted him at the wedding. 

"I have to go. Take care of Billy, alright?" she ended up saying, kissing her son on the cheek, before handing him over to Finn, grabbing the bag and going out the door. Luckily, or unluckily, Johnny Dogs and a few other men were already there, and she didn't have to see her fiancé's reaction to coming home, and being told that his beloved had gone to London already, without even saying goodbye. 


	10. Longue Vue House

Aberama Gold and the other Blinders were capable of handling the threat in Scotland, forcing the Billy Boys into submission there, and making sure they didn't threaten the Shelbies in Birmingham, or anywhere else that wasn't Scotland. As for the situation in London, it was equally taken care of, despite taking a bit longer, and a larger number of casualties, as unfortunate as it was. 

"Johnny? And who else?" Polly asked, obviously tired and shocked, deeply saddened by the news. Ada cried quietly into her handkerchief, while Finn clenched his fists to avoid following in his sister's footsteps. 

"Charlie Strong is badly injured, probably won't make it through the night" Tommy informed, sitting on his chair, having forgotten his lit cigar. Those weren't even the worst news, and he sure as hell didn't even want to voice what else had happened in the capital. "There is... there's something else here" he added, looking at the telegram he had in his hands, the paper nearly ripping from the strength of his grip. 

"What? What is it? What else can there be?" Ada asked, inbetween sobs, before realising what she'd just said. Of course there could be worse, and one look at Tommy confirmed it, if his hesitation to get it out didn't. 

"Tom. Just say it. Just tell us" Polly let out, getting ready to suffer, but knowing that no antecipation could ever prepare her, or her loved ones, for what was coming. Deep down, she'd expected this outcome ever since Arthur had departed to join Autumn in her efforts, not able to abandon her to her luck, in such a dangerous task. One thing was hunting down someone who owed money; another one was to chase a group of gangsters, armed to the teeth and as dangerous as she was. 

"Autumn was shot in the neck, and has been given... she's been..." Tommy hesitated, only to be interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and then again by the loud explosion of a shotgun. Needless to say, every single person in that study knew, without seeing, that it was Arthur, broken Arthur, his face the very meaning of pain, willing to kill his own brother for what had come to pass in London. He himself was injured, but not even a couple of stab wounds would stop him from bringing Autumn home, to assure she saw Billy one more time. 

"Gimme that, mate, come on..." Finn vaguely said, running to his older brother, taking the weapon from his hands, and trying to think of something else to say, but coming up empty. Arthur seemed to be in a trance, in a state of shock and grief that overwhelmed every other system in his body. God couldn't be that cruel, the God Isaiah kept talking about couldn't take Autumn, it simply couldn't be like that.

"Where is she? Arthur, where is she?" Polly asked, the biggest of urgencies in her voice, facing the emptiness in her nephews eyes, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him, trying to wake him up, trying to make him say something. "Say something, lad!"

"Mrs. Shelby is at the hospital, ma'am" one of the Romanis informed, having made the way to Shelby manor with Arthur, to make sure he didn't collapse to the ground from the loss of blood. 

* * *

Like Johnny Dogs, Charles Strong had perished before the sun rose in the sky. All in all, ten Romani men had lost their lives to guarantee that the Shelbies gained control of London. Come morning, Autumn was still alive, despite the bullet inside her elegant neck. Once again, Tommy stood outside the room, looking in through the permanently open door. The situation was fragile, and nurses and doctors needed full, immediate access with moment's notice. 

"You know he will never forgive you. Arthur has a heart the size of oceans, but this... this he won't be able to forgive, Tommy" Polly informed, despite being able to gauge just how obvious that fact was for Thomas. 

"I know" the man himself answered, resisting the growing urge to light a cigarette. "I know, Pol. I don't deserve his forgiveness"

"Why did you do it? Why did you send her? Why her, Tommy?" Ada enquired, adjusting Billy on her hip. A hospital was no place for a baby, but how could they keep them away from his mother and father? Just like Arthur, she wanted Billy to be around in case the worst came to pass. 

"This is what I pay her for" Tommy tried to justify, even though it wasn't true: she'd been hired as a bill collector, and worked as a bounty hunter when the police was convinced to put a price on a gambler's head. Despite her talent as a killer for hire, it was never in situations where she'd be hunted just as intensely. Aberama Gold was the one who did that kind of work, and even the Lees had strength in their numbers. 

"You don't mean that" Ada countered, pursing her lips. "Why did you do it, Tommy?"

"He did it because he didn't want Arthur to go through with the wedding" Finn chimed in, from behind them. "He didn't want Arthur to fall in love and get married, only to suffer later on when she ran away, like Linda did"

It was strange, and somehow abnormal to hear so much wisdom coming from the youngest of them. Finn was usually too busy fixing matches, drinking beer, or spending his time with Isaiah and Luna, his young bride. But marriage seemed to do him some good, giving him the widsom and perception to understand his brother's intentions, and to even try and justify them. After all, he hadn't exactly roled out the red carpet for Luna, who was, on all accounts, an angel from the heavens; and it was obvious it had all been to avoid seeing his brothers fall victim to the pain he harboured in his heart for Grace. 

"I didn't think Autumn would run away; I thought that she would die, sooner or later, and I decided it should be sooner" Tommy confessed, cursing the day he became transparent to his kid brother. "I understand I should've protected her, and I know it was wrong. I understand that. And no one is more sorry than me"

"She'll live" Polly assured, that all-knowing look in her eyes, the same she'd had when she predicted Ruby, and when she predicted Elizabeth. "She'll live, and you'll be able to tell them both that"

"I was thinking maybe Jeremiah could come here? To marry them" Ada suggested, before a simple look inside the room made it all too obvious that Autumn Cormier wasn't even awake, let alone capable of uttering the words necessary to enter a marriage. 

"All in due time. Let her recover, let's see what happens, and then we'll ask them what they want to do" Tommy reasoned, his heart beating in his throat at the sight of his older brother, who had only now let someone take a look at the deep wounds on the side of his stomach. Despite allowing the doctors to treat him, he'd declined moving, and was receiving medical care in the precarious conditions of a critical patient's bedside. As for Autumn, looking at her was impossible: Thomas Shelby had seen many injuries, he'd seen gallons upon gallons of blood. But, for some foreign reason, the way the dried up blood clung to the deep skin of the American, soaking the bandages around her neck, sent shivers down his spine. In his head, and in Arthur's too, no doubt, that bullet had been shot by Tommy himself. 

* * *

"The uh... the doctors... they say it's uh... it doesn't look as bad as it did before, but it still is... it still is... precarious" Arthur struggled with the last word, wanting to reproduce exactly what he had been told. Now that Autumn was out of critical danger, he could feel the sharp pain on his side, and the blunt ache of the bruises on other parts of his body. 

"Those are good news, aren't they?" Ada replied, allowing herself a smile, and handing Billy to his father. "You wanna go home, have some rest? We'll stay here with Autumn"

"No, no, I'm alright. Finn, would you mind taking Billy?" Arthur asked, kissing his son on the head and handing him to his youngest uncle, who usually took the baby, given that he was the only one without children, and with two other people in his house to make sure the little one was looked after with all the care in the world. "I'll uh... stay and see if I can get Autumn to wake up"

"May I have a word, brother?" Tommy asked, taking the oportunity to stay behind and face his brother, to say what needed to be said, even if Arthur didn't look at him, didn't even acknowledge his presence. In the absence of an answer, but given that Arthur hadn't moved, Tommy took it as a sign to go ahead and get it over with. "I know it's not the time nor the place to discuss all of this; but I want to tell you that I was wrong, and that I am sorry for what I put Autumn through"

"Tom..." Arthur started, going from hopeful to exhausted in a split second. "I don't want to talk about it, alright? Just... go home, eh?"

"I just want to tell you that I did what I did because I thought it would spare you from more pain. I'm sorry" Tommy confessed, understanding how weak that excuse sounded, in the face of a man drowned in so much suffering it would be hard to imagine what could be worse; in fewer words, if Arthur was in any more pain, he would certainly be dead. "I promise to do anything in my power to protect you and her, from now on..."

"Tom... Tom, you need to go" Arthur almost begged, his voice breaking, and his brow furrowing a bit more. 

"...I will not send her on any more missions of this kind, and I think we can use her skill in other ways, closer to home..." Tommy continued, ignoring his brother as per usual, and not understand there was something very heavy in the air, something that would change everything. 

"Autumn's pregnant"

And just like that, Tommy Shelby lost the will and the ability to speak, blood rushing to his brain, and blacking out his vision, sparing him from the view of the world spinning, and of his own body hitting the ground. 


	11. St. Louis Cemetery

Bringing a child into the world was a difficult enterprise in normal conditions: from the nine months of pregnancy, to the suffering brought about by labour, there was nothing about it that could be deemed easy. But then there was carrying the child of a Shelby man, which posed a whole different set of challenges, heightened by the mother's own personal inclinations. Needless to say, being an American bounty hunter, engaged to the oldest of the Shelby brothers, and seriously injured was previously unthreaded territory. 

"Sparing the complicated medical terms, what are we looking at?" Polly asked, all business and no chill, ready to get to the bottom of the issue at hand. She most certainly believed that Autumn was not available for death, a belief the doctors started to share. But the health of her unborn child could be seriously compromised, and there was no sure way of knowing exactly what could be wrong. 

"Hm, well, if we're completely honest, we have no idea how the lady survived" the doctor said, not without some difficulty. Everyone was well aware of Autumn and her particular skills and occupation, and of the scandalous, godless relationship she maintained with Arthur Shelby. 

"She did, that's what matters, isn't it? What about the baby?" Finn asked, wishing the nurses would at least let them see Autumn, and let Billy spend some time with his stepmom. "Is the baby alright?"

"Babies" Polly corrected, dragging on her cigarette. As per usual, no one bothered asking her how she knew, her family just accepted that she was privy to information everyone else ignored. "Twins, a boy and a girl"

"Well, madam, truth is we aren't able to tell..." the doctor tried to chime in, although his opinion was clearly unwarranted. 

"Does Arthur know? Have you told him?" Ada asked, noticing how silent Tommy was, and how pale he looked, even by his normal ghostly standards. "He's going to be delighted to hear the news. One baby is already so amazing, but two... I don't think his heart is going to handle that much happiness"

"No, I haven't told him" Polly confessed, having decided it would be a bit too much emotion for the already emotional man. "I'll let him and Autumn know when she's recovered a bit more. In the meanwhile, let's just hope nothing goes south" 

"The point is that she's expected to recover, but we'll need her under surveillance for a week or two more" the doctor informed, clearly convinced all the Shelbies were mad, for believing what Polly Gray had just stated out of nowhere. "Her voice has been affected, but the child seems to have a healthy heartbeat, and so does she"

"May we see my sister-in-law?" Tommy finally asked, lifting his eyes from the ground to the doctor's face. 

"Of course. This way" a nearby nurse indicated, showing them the way to a secluded room, at the very end of the hospital wing. Inside the small space, there was a bed, an armchair, and some supplies scattered around, like bandages and water jars. As soon as the small group passed through the door, Billy started whining until he was placed in his father's arms. 

"What's the matter, eh? Has he been good?" Arthur asked, smiling at his son, and even looking at Tommy, who was the picture of contrition, still unable to look at Autumn, despite the lesser amount of bandages and blood on her. 

"He's been great. How are you?" Finn asked both Autumn and Arthur, realising they both had deep bags under their eyes, but seemed entirely happy, as if that hospital was the best possible place to be. 

"Oh well, been better, been worse, you know? Thanks for looking after the little rascal" Autumn replied, all eyes for her stepson. "Have you told them the news?" she added, turning to Arthur and smiling wide. 

"The doctor did" Ada said, beaming as well. "Congratulations, those are the best news in the world" 

"They really are, eh?" Arthur agreed, smiling at his son and taking Autumn's hand with his free one. "You hear that, Billy? You're going to have a baby brother or sister to play around with. Isn't it so exciting?"

"Sure is" Autumn agreed, and for a moment, it was like only the three of them existed in the world, as if their happiness encased them in a snow globe, protecting them from the obviously dire situation both mother and children were in. "Polly, any chance of a prediction? Arthur tells me you can tell the sex of the baby"

"I've been known to be right once or twice" Polly agreed, a smiling creeping up to her lips. "I will, however, need a bit more time. The pregnancy is recent, isn't it?"

"I reckon about... I don't know, two months?" Autumn calculated, furrowing her brow. Her voice did sound very different, as if she was suffering from an intense case of sore throat. "I didn't know, I didn't even suspect I could be..." but then her sentence was cut short by a coughing fit, which she couldn't control until a nurse gave her a glass of a light green liquid. 

"Shut up, will you?" Arthur joked, causing her to playfully punch him in the arm. "Anyways, we didn't know, didn't have the first clue, and it probably happened two months ago"

"That's really amazing, I can't wait for Billy to have siblings to play with. And of course, Charlie and Ruby will be delighted" Ada reckoned, hoping Karl wouldn't take offense to two new babies, as he didn't really like children. "How about you, Finn? You got something to tell us?"

"No" Finn quickly replied, absolutely panicked. "No, I don't, not yet, we're waiting" he stuttered, even though he wasn't even lying. It was just the thought of having kids, and having to share Isaiah and Luna with a needy baby, wasn't exactly welcome at the time. They all needed more time to just exist, just the three of them, before starting a family. 

* * *

Tom had asked for the room, to talk to Arthur, and especially to Autumn, alone, without his family interrupting. He'd said what he needed to say to his brother, but he really needed to tell Autumn everything, to tell her exactly what had happened, to lay it all on the table, now that she had been spared, now that she wasn't going to die, and was instead getting ready to welcome new life. 

"... so I lied to you, to prevent a war between us and the Scots. I thought that it would spare lives, and trouble. But then, when the problem escalated, I didn't think it through, and I thought that I was in a position where I could spare my older brother from more pain down the line. That's why I sent you: so that you would... would die, before Arthur got too attached, and before you could hurt him in any way, like Linda did"

There was a minute of silence after those words were spoken. There was no doubt that was the truth, but whether that made it better, worse, or all the same, Autumn did not know. What she did know was that Tommy had sent her to London to die, to rip off that bandage. 

"You would rather your brother bury me before he fell in love with me, and before we got married" Autumn concluded, failing to see where the logic was. It probably made sense for Tommy, but what made sense t him was often a much veiled mistery to everyone else around him, not drowning in opium and insomnia. "What did I ever do to you? Why do you hate me that much?"

"I don't. I'm just trying to protect my family"

That's not fair, Tom; I can look after myself. Besides, even if you'd gotten rid of this woman the very day I met her, you'd still be too late" Arthur assured, taking Autumn's hand and placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "The best way to protect me is to let me be with her, let me be happy, eh?"

"I understand that now. That's why I asked to speak to you, to apologise and to make sure you understood I didn't do it with bad intentions" Tommy said, almost pleading. In all honesty, he did like Autumn, and he liked her for Arthur, they seemed like a good match; and now, with the babies on the way, it was more than clear that his older brother had found a woman who wouldn't run away, cheat, or put him in harm's way. It was time to stop interfering, as he had done with Finn and Luna. 

"Thomas, you need to rest. If it makes you feel better, I forgive you, and Arthur does too. But you need to work things out. You can't keep carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders" Autumn wisely said, seeing the deep bags under his eyes, and the tired posture of his battered body. "Let us help, let us take some responsibility. You don't have to deal with everything, and put out all the fires. We'll make sure things are taken care of, give you some time with your children"

"Agreed" Arthur stated, nodding as well. "Tell us what you need, and we'll do it, eh? We're family, you know you can trust us" 

"Pretty sure I was ready to die for this family, so you know I'm all in as well" Autumn joked despite the obvious severity of her situation. 


	12. Audubon Park

Two babies. And Billy. There would be two babies and a toddler, running around the house. It sounded insane on paper, but it would be a thousand times more hectic in practice. But fuck, what a blessing. What a blessing it was to be surrounded by children, by his children, who were loved, and had access to the best education and care money could buy. A for their mother... well, their mother was out of this world, and Arthur Shelby couldn't possibly love his wife more. 

Wife. Now there was something that sounded good, almost as good as her new name, the one he had insisted on giving her, despite a big speech on her part about words like patriarchy, feminism, and independence. In the end, it was the idea of having the same last name as her three children that made Autumn change her mind, as well as a very embarrassing part of her who liked the tradition of taking the husband's family name. 

As for the ceremony, there really hadn't been much to it: Tommy had been allowed to attend, despite knowing he was threading very thin ice when it came to his older brother and sister-in-law; Finn attended with his own wife, and Ada had taken Karl who needed to be taught a thing or two about different ethnicities, and from someone as blunt as Autumn, who had very little patience of spoiled children with racist opinions. 

"Arthur, do you take this woman to be your wife?" Jeremiah asked, looking at the oldest Shelby and remembering the man he was before the war: only then had he looked so happy, so pleased with himself. 

"Absolutely" Arthur replied, nodding, winking at Autumn, who smiled back. 

"Autumn, are you absolutely sure you want to take this man as your husband? Don't let it be said I didn't warn you" the preacher advised, making all those present laugh, including the bride and groom. 

"Yeah, why not? I'm already pregnant" the American cheekily replied, shrugging with humour, although her eyes were teary. 

"Do we have rings? Rings, anyone?" Jeremiah asked, prompting Tommy to step forward and offer up the simple white gold bands the happy couple had selected. "Good, thank you. Arthur, if you'd be so kind as to repeat after me..."

"I, Arthur Shelby, take thee, Autumn Cormier, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith"

"And Autumn, if you'd please..."

"I, Autumn Cormier, take thee, Arthur Shelby, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith"

"Forasmuch as Arthur and Autumn have consented together in holy matrimony, and have pledged their love and loyalty to each other, and have declared the same by the joining and the giving of rings, by the power vested in me, and as witnessed by friends and family, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Go ahead and kiss the bride, mate" Jeremiah ended up saying, finally making them husband and wife, ending a wait that seemed to have lasted forever. 

* * *

"I look like I swallowed a hot air balloon" 

"You don't, you look gorgeous" 

"I don't have a gun on me, you can be honest" Autumn allowed, looking at herself in the mirror, wearing her underwear and an old, beat up, linen shirt, which she wasn't sure belonged to her originally. 

"Even if you did have a shotgun I would still say the same: you look absolutely perfect" Arthur reassured, taking the rare oportunity to wrap his arms around her, laying his chin on the top of her head. "Besides, it's good that your bump is growing, means everything is fine"

"Ugh, I guess so, and I want nothing more than for the babies to be alright, but I would like to go back to my old body sooner rather than later, I haven't had a contract in a while and I feel lazy" Autumn confessed, suddenly ready to burst into tears, which was something that never happened to her. She didn't even remember the last time she had cried, and she'd been shot several times. 

"You know damn well you need to rest, and recover and all that" Arthur reminded, not moving an inch, but resting his hands on top of the bump, hoping to feel either one of the twins kick. They generally remained calm, but maybe it wasn't too much to ask. 

"I know, I know... the only reason I'm doing that is to make sure the little ones are safe. I hate not being useful"

"More useful than you have already been, you mean? I haven't fogotten you've taken several bullets for my family" Arthur sighed, despite absolutely hating the thought of it. "All you need to do is make sure you're comfortable, and that the babies are alright in there"

"That second part I've got down pat, the issue is the first one. I haven't properly been comfortable in a couple of weeks. I'm either crying, or almost crying, or tired, or I need to pee, or... hm" Autumn mused, but decided not to go ahead and confess to the last part of why she was permanently uncomfortable. Speaking of that particular subject, her husband really was close, wasn't he? Not to mention the fact that his shirt was half open, his pants were already off, and... hm. 

"Which one is it now?" 

"I kinda want to cry" Autumn admitted, prompting Arthur to go around her figure, letting her bury her face in his chest and sob as hard as she wanted. 

"It's alright, let it out, love" Arthur whispered, not sure what was wrong but fully vowing to make it right, whatever the hell it was. What was more, whatever the reason was, or whoever the reason was, he was ready to go get his tableside revolver and end it where it stood at the moment. "What's going on?"

"I look like a... like a... I don't even know, but I look... Why would you want me, when I look like this?" she sobbed, unaware of the little smile on her hisband's lips. "Fuck, and why do I want to jump you everytime I see you? Damn it, it's like I'm a bumbling mass of hormones and libido, and I truly do hate it, baby"

"If you're crying because you think I won't want to have sex with you anymore, let me assure you right the fuck now the chances of that ever happening are less than zero" Arthur informed, somehow not contributing to the stopping of the tears. "What can I do? What do you need?"

"I have no idea" Autumn sobbed even harder, confusing herself and her husband more and more with each passing second. "Do I need to sleep? Do I need to go out and shoot something? No, I don't want to go down the stairs, it takes me ages" 

"I could carry you" Arthur suggested, only to come to the conclusion that the idea would probably end up with the two of them falling down the stairs, creating another problem, instead of solving the original one.

"No, no, thank you, I'll be fine. I'm fine. Really, I am" she stated, suddenly coming back to her normal stoic self, and even letting go of her husband. which surprised him to no end. Instead, she took a couple steps back and just stood there, evaluating him, top to bottom, as if she was trying to guess how much he'd be worth if she was to sell him at auction. 

"What?" he asked, mildly alarmed, wondering if she was going to start punching and kicking without a warning. 

"I'm lucky. You know that, right? You know how lucky I am, don't you?" she ended up saying, adding to his surprise. 

"I uh... you are?"

"I am. I really am, Arthur, and I'm shocked you didn't know that" she added, biting her lower lip and finally charging at him, not to beat him into a pulp for impregnating her and leaving her in an unstable pile of mood swings, but to kiss him the best she could with the obstacle of her belly on the way, making it a bit more difficult. "I honestly have no idea how we're going to do this, but we're going to do this. Please find a way, or I might explode"

Arthur froze for a few seconds, his brain trying to process the leap from sobbing to begging him for a fuck, which was absolutely unlike Autumn, who generally didn't cry, let alone beg for sex. Pregnancy was, on all accounts, a miracle, and Autumn carried it extremely well, but she had her moments, and she was more than entitled to them. Hence, Arthur, who loved his wife dearly and couldn't wait for the babies to arrive, would do whatever it took to make her happy, or to fulfill any wish of hers. And he'd be damned if he couldn't carry out his duty as a husband, and give his wife exactly what she wanted at that moment. 

"Bed. Now" he said, trying to sound as much as an authority as possible. It was times like these that a man had to assert some sort of dominance, mainly because he was well aware of the effect this persona had on Autumn, who had pratically made a living off of not taking orders from anyone. There had to be a therapist somewhere who explained this dynamic, but Arthur was a more down-to-earth kind of man, who knew two things: that his wife didn't take shit from anyone; and that she enjoyed being told what to do in certain situations, when she was feeling fragile and tired. 

"Who do you think you are, how dare you talk to me that way, your mother would be ashamed of you" Autumn spat, despite the mischievious grin on her face, and the pure joy on her face. Needless to say, she did as she was told, and sat down, her back against the headboard. 

"Didn't ask for your opinion, did I?" Arthur said in return, biting the insides of his cheeks to keep himself from smiling too. Truth be told, she did look insanely good, but he decided not to tell her that just yet. "Didn't tell you to sit either" he added, kneeling in front of her, taking her legs and sliding her down, so that she could lay comfortably. 

"You're not the boss of me, you don't tell me what to do" she mocked, unable to see much over her bump, but certain that her underwear was now somewhere across the considerably-sized room. "Don't throw my fucking clothes to the ground like that! Arthur, you're an awful..." 

Of course that was the moment he picked to do what she was about to beg for him to do, turning her scolding into some sort of muffled moan. Again, it wasn't fair that she couldn't see much, but she did feel a whole lot, which was just as maddening. Sure, being married was a traditional stupidity, an institution made to oppress women and subdue them to men. But Autumn had an inkling that it had a lot to do with the man one picked, if one had the privilege of being able to pick. For her, having that white gold band on her finger, two babies inside her womb, and a toddler sleeping two doors down meant that she was happier than she ever was when she didn't have a home to call her own, and chased down people with debt for a living. She would never admit to it, and would fight against tradition as much as she could, but she knew, and her husband knew too, that she counted her blessings every night, before she fell asleep as comfortably as an expecting mother of twins could. 


End file.
